COURSE DESCRIPTION:

Public involvement is much more than public hearings. It involves creative thinking as well as the willingness and ability to interact openly and sensitively to the public's preferred forms of communication and participation. Public involvement is about reaching out to and involving the public in transportation decisionmaking. The public should have a role in every phase of decisionmaking, including the design of the participation plan itself. Successful public involvement addresses the public's procedural, psychological, and substantive needs while gathering useful information. By focusing on interests--rather than positions--public involvement can become more meaningful as well as useful.

OUTCOMES:

Upon completion of the course, participants will be able to:

Describe U.S. DOT transportation decisionmaking processes, including those that trigger the National Environmental Policy Act

Describe the relationship between public involvement and decisionmaking

Develop a public involvement plan with stakeholder assistance that includes attention to non-traditional populations as an evaluation component

Describe interest-based problem solving and the values that underlie it

Identify ways to enhance public involvement plans

TARGET AUDIENCE:

Federal, State, and local transportation agency staff, metropolitan planning organization personnel, transit operators, consultants, and others who are responsible for planning, implementing, or participating in any phase of the public involvement process.

The National Highway Institute (NHI) has been accredited as an Accredited Provider
by the International Association for Continuing Education and Training (IACET).
In obtaining this accreditation, NHI has demonstrated that it complies with the
ANSI/IACET Standard which is recognized internationally as a standard of good practice.
As a result of their Accredited Provider status, NHI is authorized to offer IACET CEUs
for its programs that qualify under the ANSI/IACET Standard.